April 10, 2012
By Doug Demmons
Every NASCAR fan who has ever muttered under his breath about how awful it is that NASCAR went Hollywood and abandoned its roots now has his chance.
Every fan who has loudly criticized NASCAR for preferring cookie-cutter tracks in places like Chicago and Kansas City now has his chance.
Every fan who believes that North Wilkesboro Speedway being taken over by weeds is an affront to decency now has his chance -- to rectify the situation.
NASCAR has acceded to your demands. In its quest to restore the good ole days of filled-to-capacity grandstands and high TV ratings, NASCAR has been bending over backwards to appease its hardcore fan base.
This weekend NASCAR gives you Rockingham Speedway back on the NASCAR schedule. This weekend the Camping World Truck Series rolls into The Rock for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 on Sunday.
Yes, that Rock. The speedway just east of Charlotte that last saw a NASCAR race eight years ago.
The Rockingham whose last race date was harvested by Bruton Smith and shipped west to Texas Motor Speedway.
The same track that was auctioned off in 2007 and saved from becoming condos or a strip shopping center by Andy Hillenburg.
Rockingham is the dead brought back to life, a zombie track reanimated by those who believe the glory of yesterday can be restored.
A great deal of money has been spent to bring Rockingham back, to install the SAFER barriers that NASCAR now requires. Hillenburg has done his part. NASCAR has done its part by putting The Rock back on the schedule.
Now it’s time for everybody else to put up or shut up. It’s time to get out the debit cards and buy some tickets.
It doesn’t even cost that much. A twenty-dollar bill buys a frontstretch ticket and it includes admission to a Saturday night concert. That’s a better deal than the local theater.
As the saying goes, money talks and you-know-what walks.
NASCAR will not race for long in a half-empty track. Hillenburg will not continue to invest in The Rock if fans don’t bother to show up.
Now, many will say that they would love to attend this weekend but they just can’t make it. They can’t get time off; they have other things scheduled; Venus is not aligned with Jupiter. Whatever.
Even if you can’t make it, you can show your support and do a good deed at the same time. You can go to www.rockinghamracewaypark.com and buy a ticket for a member of the military.
You don’t even have to get off the sofa. Just sit there and watch the race on TV and help deliver that other thing NASCAR loves -- TV ratings.
This is a test. This weekend will tell whether Return to the Roots Racing is worth pursuing even further. There has been much talk about the Truck Series getting back to its own short-track roots by scheduling races at places like Mobile International Speedway.
Packed grandstands on Sunday might just make that happen.
Doug Demmons is a writer and editor for the Birmingham News ~ he writes daily and weekly auto racing columns ranging from NASCAR to open wheel to Formula One, local tracks and more... you can read Doug's columns online at ALABAMA MOTORSPORTS
Follow Doug on Twitter: @dougdemmons
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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